Last Friday, about a month after the untimely death of beloved rock and roller Tom Petty, Canadian folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys released Fifteen, their first album in six years. Track two is one of Petty’s most intimate songs, “Wildflowers.”

“I remember jamming it in a hotel room a few years ago and it came together really naturally. And then we started performing it and people just loved it.”

Folk anthems “We Shall Overcome” and “This Land Is Your Land” are on their own road to a particular kind of freedom. Separate lawsuits claim the songs should not be under copyright but in the public domain, and one has been decided.

Galax is a town of about 7,000 people on the southern border of Virginia on the edge of the Appalachian mountains. For music lovers, its name conjures up one thing - the Old Fiddler’s Convention a premiere contest and roots music gathering that’s taken place in Galax since 1935. For married musicians Doug and Telisha Williams, who perform under the name The Wild Ponies, the Galax area is also their old home place. It’s where they grew up, dated as high school sweethearts and launched their music career.

Murfreesboro, TN – The NCAA has somewhat eased the home attendance requirement as Middle Tennessee State University prepares to embark on another football season. University officials say that's good news.

Murfreesboro, TN – Intellectually gifted students often feel unchallenged in the classroom. But gifted kids in Tennessee will soon have more help in assuring they reach their full potential. Shawn Jacobs reports.

Murfreesboro, TN – Since 1969, WMOT has filled the airwaves of Middle Tennessee -- even before there was a department of Mass Communications. From the upper floors of the Dramatic Arts building to the Learning Resources Center, the station has seen many changes in operating styles, campus administrations, and the ever-changing names on the student employee rosters.

Murfreesboro, TN – New York pianist Bill Charlap's new CD rethinks the Broadway tunes of classical composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein. Charlap's piano lines move easily the bounce of "Cool," the Cuban cadences of "America," and the brush-stroked "Glitter to Be Gay." His solo on "Somewhere" links Bernstein's intersection of the classics, American popular song, and jazz.

WMOT News

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Singer songwriters Rodney Crowell and Kelsea Ballerini and hit country songwriter Ashley Gorley were honored at the ASCAP Country Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday.

Crowell, who announced earlier this year he was cancelling all his 2017 tour dates due to a health issue, was given the Founder's Award and honored with performances by Keith Urban and Vince Gill. The multiple Grammy Award-winner, who turned 67 this year, announced on Twitter last month that he had been diagnosed with dysautonomia, a disorder of the automatic nervous system.

Have an old vehicle sitting in your driveway? Donate your used vehicle to WMOT, we will do all the work, all you have to do is sit back and relax! Our qualified donation support team is ready to work out all the details of your donation. We will even haul your car away for free! Call 888-WMOT-CAR. 888-966-8227. You can also donate online .

Latest from NPR

It was a good night for Democrats in some of the nation's largest cities.

New York's Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio, a forceful critic of President Trump, easily won a second term. And Democrats also won or were leading in several major cities and closely watched races, including those in Boston, Charlotte, N.C. and Seattle.

With nearly all of the precincts counted, de Blasio had 66.5 percent of the vote to 27.8 percent for his main rival, Republican Nicole Malliotakis.

President Trump delivered a warning to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un not to underestimate U.S. resolve in the face of Pyongyang's nuclear threats. Trump also challenged other nations — especially China — not to stand idly by while Kim pursues his aggressive nuclear program.